Jump Hoops for Health

Playing with hoops improves hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills and can be set up outside or inside. Controlling a rolling hoop can be difficult for a young child so be nearby and ready to intervene if necessary!

HOOP TOSS

Lie some hula hoops and bean bags on the ground. Encourage children to try to throw bean bags into a hoop.

MUSICAL HULA HOOPS

Play like musical chairs with children dancing around several hula hoops as you play music or clap a beat. When music stops everyone must run and get into a hula hoop.

Try varying the number of hula hoops: sometimes have the same number of hoops as children, sometimes have more hoops so small children can succeed without competition or colliding;.

2 – 3 YEAR OLDS

Allow free play with hoops. Children might like to arrange them on the ground in a line or pattern or just carry them around.

Encourage children to step in and out of the hoops.

Make a path of hula hoops and show children how to move from hoop to hoop.

3 – 4 YEAR OLDS

Have one hula hoop for each child. Showing them what they could try with the hoop:

Circle it around wrist/elbow/knees/waist

Roll it

Spin it in a circle in one spot

Jump it with both feet

SORTING

Put two hoops on the floor with a variety of objects for children to sort. For example, sort soft toys into big, little, furry or not furry. Or sort pictures of animals or foods.

SINGING

Sing songs like “A frog jumped out of his pond one day”… Each child becomes the frog and uses a hoop as the pond.